Q & A with Charlie Hayes

Written for Bronx Pinstripes

The past week felt like the “Bizarro Yankees” world. (Thank you Superman and Seinfeld.) For the first time in the Steinbrenner era, the Yankees were big time sellers at the MLB trade deadline.Carlos Beltran, Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller, and Ivan Nova were all sent to new homes. Conversely, in 1996, the Yankees were big time buyers on their way to their first championship. One of the players they brought in was a former Yankee, third baseman Charlie Hayes.

One of the lasting memories of the that season was the final out of the World Series. Mark Lemke’s foul pop nestled neatly in Hayes’ glove and he squeezed it tightly for the third and final out in the 9th inning. To help commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 1996 team, I spoke with Charlie Hayes about the ’96 team, his sons, and what the future holds.

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Joe Torre's Daughter's Catch Bigger Than Charlie Hayes'

On the night of October 26, 1996, Yankees third baseman Charlie Hayes closed his glove around Mark Lemke's foul pop for the final out of both Game 6 and the World Series itself. It sealed the Yankees first championship in 18 years and gave Joe Torre redemption for past managerial failures and a playing career that never included the post-season.

But if you ask Torre today, I'd bet that he'd be a whole lot prouder of the catch his daughter Cristina made on Wednesday. Her Dad used a mitt or glove to catch a baseball in his 18 year career, but 44-year old Cristina used her bare hands to catch 1-year old Dillin Miller after he fell out of an apartment window.

The baby hit his mouth, but was otherwise fine. His parents could be in a load of trouble though. The baby's parents, 23-year old Sam Miller (Is he not the oldest looking 23-year old you have ever seen?) and 24-year old Tiffany Demitro were asleep at the time of the incident. They were arrested after police arrived and found the pair and their four children (ages 1, 2, 3, 5) living in squalor. (The police actually stopped the 3-year old from falling out the same window.)

Their day would have been a whole lot worse if not for the awareness and good hands of Cristina Torre.

For more on the story check out the NY Daily News.